Still Airborne........................

[Bravedan 106]

Proof the Marauder could take punishment...........

 

[Pilot Ben 28]

Just before it fell out of the sky....

[Bravedan 106]

Not funny, there are likely still five people trying to stay alive in that.

"Read" the picture instead of making a cheap jibe, it didn't happen just before the pic, no smoke, fumes, escaping fuel. Both engines pitched up and running under power. Pilot is balancing on the good aileron and the good half of the elevator.   His task is likely being made easier by the half elevator assisting resisting the left yaw.  He doesn't have arudder to help!

Must assume therefore its travelled a decent distance beyond the hit(s).

With both engines he can (has) created yaw and the half A & E are holding it level. Hope they made it at least back out of enemy territory to jump.  Not much chance for the pilot unless he lands it though. 

[Pilot Ben 28]

Sorry I didn't mean it as a joke! I did see the aileron fully deflected... I wonder if that would honestly still "fly" if even keep level whilst descending? Certainly aerodynamically they are pushing it! 

Surely with the loss of most of the lift on the wing and the massive aerodynamic drag the thing would just fall out of the sky? Not to mention all the severed hydraulic lines and controls, on the wing and the fuel flowing (or flowed) out of the wing.

Goes to show that aircraft can surprise, especially when this quote "It was susceptible to flak because of its overloaded wing and could not sustain much battle damage." is from the USAF themselves.

Wondered if that was like this;

 

Certainly if a model were to sustain such damage I doubt it would be able to maintain level flight...

[Bravedan 106]

Your stated (miss)quote on the Marauder is dated from the inception when they put inexperienced multi engine crew into it, not understanding or properly training them that it needed 100mph touchdown, and a lot were lost. They improved knowledge and training and later also extended the wings to help lower the landing speed.  It was quick, it was slippery, it was highly aerobatic. It was VERY highly regarded by its crews once into full on combat.

The Marauder ultimately had the lowest loss rate IN COMBAT of ANY American front line aircraft, and actually had a suberb record of getting its crews back. I do not know that specific case in photo but many came back with severe flak damage. The now famous one called "Flak Bait" survived over 200 missions and is preserved, has been stripped down for full resto but keeping its "worn" appearance!  When inspected it had received over 1000 holes in it, yet patched up and retuned to the fray it survived and returned its crews time after time after time.

Bearing in mind they ordered it in numbers straight from the drawing board in a panic with NO prototype, it was the bomber equivalent of the Mustang!

That plane wasn't falling out the sky, by superlative piloting and fast thinking to get it "trimmed" as best as possible, it was actually trundling along quite well at the time photographed.